Signal



March 2 4, 1931. P. R. BASSETT SIGNAL Filed July 18, 1925 NE W I! a E I l\.. D I.

m F k Patented Mar. 24, 1931 s. ,BASSETT, OFBROOKLYuNEW YORK, ASSIGNQB;:BY.MESN3 ASS GNMENTS;

-T SPEBRY GYROSCQPECQMPANY, 11m, AzjdonronAm'louor'lmw 720m:

Application fil 4 J'uly 18',

This invention relates to signalling systems for the guidance of 'clirigible'Mcraft at iightandespecially for theguidance of aircf aft,jsuch as those'engagedin night air mail predetermined course. More particularlythe invention relates to signalling'systeinswhich se v rnet nly t ma a PQin Q pe i n, ,Hhichfislthe il nction o fa'ligl1thoi 1se or Slllll- 1!" lai japparatus,.butalso to indicate the predetermined direetionof courseliito be'lfolaw :Eorth p rpq r o mp oyt o dif- .ieient, types iof signals at the saine station, .isaidflsignal being e d y. d ng i hable- -r -1 Dne off jsaidjsignalsfis adapted to indicate "a position while the other of said signals is a designed to indicatethe course. Ijii'lfijfilllploy j a continuously-operating beam, wh ch be a cjontinuou I 1y rnoving beam, for ndi' at ng p sit on, and intefm i yere in'b a fe nd ngc mi 0 may use some other m'eth'odfof distinguishing the (signal J i a .7 is

xPPiSQ bu .ais ngl gh -s it is a I-further ob ect of niyin ention to 7 provide compound signalling device of with itype describ hiwm y r lysanded r m th type f gnalhngi structure employedi'or [such pi-iif dols'es, for

example, in the night air maili service. {Further objects and advantages of th1s .w fj ye ntionfvvill becorne apparent, j fo a N a r a fa-ces 1 6-1 once in each revolution thereof to east 'an intermittent beam 11101311051136 di- 110m detail d c i ti p h r of-i 111' the accompany ng drawings *F ggfl is a'planvievv ,ftamgnanin statiou embodying any inVeI 'flO -I FigQ Qiis a front elevationthereof with v I :POSllTlOIL and the; .otherior lndlcating the pres drawings, there is dis 1 closed a signalling'station'or tower 10 comi d ri'singjan ,elevatedgplatforrn 11, upon NVlllCl1 Partsb d' n awa ferring to the L ounted a signal adapted to l-liCllCZttQ POSltionl ,Thissign al may take the form of a jearch'light 12,1 1 nounted in horizontal=-trun- 1 11 5 1011 af r anle 14, Whlfill'ljQltSeli 'biie'rable'by any suitable means, suehjas a niotor contained Within casingg15,ior rotatlon a ajfurther object of hay invention to a. provide a pluralitylof visible signals of the was s i l-1e egeaeabout averticalfaxis." The searchlight may togfbe continuously rotated about ,'sa1dxrei-t1ca1axis to cast a beam continuously in azimuth Suchf'a beamtrave rses a Wide fhoriion and isfreadily seen from a greatdistanc'e.-in all directions radially from said I statioiii An operator navigating a dirigible craft or an airplane night 'is readily di- ,vre cted toward said station by this continuous signal. Hitherto,-however,there has been.

nothing to'indie ate' to the'operator the course he is to travel iroin said si nalling position,

in the event that-the said course is predeter- 'ini-ned. This'cou'r'se Wouldordin arily be the "coarse to be followed" to the next signalling "station. Forfthispurpose,I prefer to utilize the same source oillight which produces the position-indicatin signal for producing also direetioli in'dica'tingjsignals. I, therefore,

fn'iountfupon the same (platform 7 11 that sup:

ports the? Searchlight l2 ai jlurality of 're fiec'to'rs 16 1-7""su'pported in bra'ckets ,18; and adjustable'about a-vertical axis, the said re- 'flectors *bein fi-X'edin adjusted position by "Ine 'a11s'suchas lock-nutsflll; The reflectors 16' and 1-7 are ofsueh height as to intercept the" position-inchcating beani in the travel of the'latter inv azimuth. The said reflectors are so positioned" as ito reflect thebeanrin opposite directionsbut in the line indicating t'hepredetermined course which it isdesired the op'erator shall follow. It-will thus be apparent thatin thetravel of the beam of t'h'efsearchli ght '12 in; aziinutlntsaid beam will he -intercepted by each .oflthe reflecting sur- 1rections along .the desired course.

distinguishable signals, one for]. indicating determined course, I ,have distinguished these signals bycausing one to be continuous] and-the otherintermittent but itfis obvious that other. means of distinguishing these two sets of signalsmay be employed. Also, it willbe appareht thatthe number of reflecting i surfaces 1+17 may be varied, depending 'upon the particular circu nstanees, and that oneior-yn ore of said reflectorsmay be utilized until he came into the path of saidbeam.

was off his course.

to indicate the course toward the signal station 10, and other reflectors may be utilized that the beam isnot readily visible. Under any of thesecircumstances the operator would perceive a flash when the beam shone upon him. Thus, for example, in the rotation of sea-rchlight 12, each time the beam from said Searchlightintercepted the operator in azimuth, he wouldperceive a flash. If he did not perceive this flash, then he would maneuver lVith the direction indicating device, if the op erator flew upon the desired course, he would become aware oftwo successiveflashes,one due to the beam from the searchlight 12 and the other due to the reflected beam from one of the reflectors 16 17. If, however, the operator was not flying on the predetermined course, he would perceive only the one flashffrom the searchlight 12 and he would know that he The operator would maneuver until the second flash became visible in order to regain the proper course.

Further, if the operator flew slightly off course he would not totally miss the flash due to the reflected beam but would perceive a flash of lesser intensity and duration than that due to the direct beam. In other Words, a long flash would be followed by a short flash. In this case also the operator would maneuver until two full successive flashes were obtained periodically, that is, during each revolution of the Searchlight 12.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent-the best embodiment there- I of, but .I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown'is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means. Also,while it. is designed to use the 'various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered andothers omitted without interfering with the more general results outlined, and the invention extends to such use. .7

. Having described. my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a device of the character described, in combination, continuously-operat ing means for transmitting a light beam to indicate position, intermittently -etfective means for interrupting said first mentioned beam and transmitting a light beam to indicate direction, and a single source of light for both signals.

2.v In a device of the character described, in combination, continuously-operating means for transmitting a light beam to indicate position and a plurality of intermittently-effective means for interrupting said first mentioned beam and transmitting a plurality of light beams in opposite directions to indicate direction.

3. In a device of the character de scribed, in combination, continuously-operating means for transmitting a light beam, means for continuously revolving said beam, and a plurality of stationary means in the path of said beam adapted to reflect said beam in .a direction to indicate a predetermined course.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a continuously-operating Searchlight for transmitting abeam, means for continuously rotating said searchlight in azimuth, and a plurality of stationary reflecting surfaces in the path of said rotating beam for transmitting intermittent light beams, said reflecting surfaces being so positioned that said intermittent light beams indicate a predetermined course.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a Searchlight havinga source of light and a reflector for transmitting a beam of substantially parallel rays, means for rotating said searchlight continuously whereby said beam indicates position, and a reflector in the path of said rotating beam adapted to transmit a reflection of said beam once during each revolution thereof to indicate direction.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, a Searchlight having a source of light and a reflector for transmitting a beam of substantially parallel rays, means for rotating said searchlight continuously whereby said beam indicates position, and a plurality of reflectors in the path of saidrotating beam each adapted to transmit-a reflection of said beam once during each revolution thereof, said reflectors being positioned to transmit said reflections in opposite directions along a predetermined course.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination, a searchlight havinga source of light and a reflectorfor transmitting a substantially horizontal beam of substantially parallel rays, beams for rotating said Searchlight continuously whereby said beam indicates position, and a reflector in the path of said beam positioned to transmit a sub stantially horizontal reflection, of said beam once during each revolution thereof to indicate direction- 8. In a device of he character described, in

combination, a Searchlight having a source of light and a reflector for transmitting ,a substantially horizontal beam of substantially parallel rays, means for rotating said searchlight continuously whereby said beam indicates position, and a plurality of reflectors in the path of said rotating beam each adapted to transmit a substantially horizontal reflec- V I tion of said beam once during each revolution thereof, said reflectors being positioned to transmit said reflections in opposite directions along a predetermined course.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature.

PRESTON R. BASSETT. 

